How to Apply for Solar Subsidy in Tamil Nadu

Getting the full TN solar subsidy in 2026 means completing two separate processes, the PM Surya Ghar central CFA and the Tamil Nadu state top-up, in the right order. For a 3 kW installation, the combined total is up to Rs.1,00,000 in direct bank credit: Rs.78,000 from the central government and Rs.22,000 from Tamil Nadu state. This guide walks through all 11 steps, from PM Surya Ghar registration to the state payment.

The amounts for 1, 2 and 3 kW and what you pay after both subsidies are on our rooftop solar subsidy page; this page is only about the process.

Two government portals are involved, and they do not share records with each other. Keep both application numbers; you will need them at every call and every office visit.

The two portals, and what each one is for

Your TNPDCL application number and your PM Surya Ghar registration are two different records. One portal does not show the other, so a delay has to be traced on the portal where that stage lives.

Documents to keep ready before you start

Phase 1: Central CFA — PM Surya Ghar Scheme (Steps 1–6)

Step 1: Register on PM Surya Ghar Portal (On or After 05.08.2026)

Register on pmsuryaghar.gov.in on or after 05.08.2026. Earlier registrations do not qualify for the revised CFA amounts. Keep these documents ready: EB Number, Phone No, Email ID, Customer Photo, Bank Passbook or Cheque leaf, Aadhaar, PAN, and House Tax Receipts.

The most critical rule: the consumer name on your EB bill must match your bank account name exactly — one spelling difference will get your subsidy returned by the system.

Step 2: DISCOM Feasibility Approval (TNPDCL Load & DT Check)

TNPDCL checks your sanctioned load and the capacity of the Distribution Transformer (DT) in your area before approving. Enter: State → District → DISCOM → EB Service Number → Fetch Data. Then on the My Application page: choose Residential, enter Latitude & Longitude, upload last 6-month EB bills, and submit. TNPDCL auto-approves feasibility. To judge which size your load and transformer allow, see how to choose a system for your home.

Step 3: Installation via Empanelled Vendor (DCR / ALMM Modules Only)

DCR (Domestic Content Requirement) and ALMM-listed solar panels are mandatory. Non-DCR panels mean the subsidy is rejected at source. RK Solar Solutions installs only DCR compliant, ALMM-certified solar panels as an empanelled solar vendor on PM Surya Ghar. What each part of a quote must carry is listed in what a solar quote includes.

After installation, upload on the portal: National Consumer Vendor Agreement (on Rs.100 stamp paper), GPS plant photo, DCR Certificate, and Inverter Serial Number.

Step 4: Net Meter Application on the TNPDCL Portal (formerly TANGEDCO)

Apply for the net meter on the TNPDCL solar portal and pay the fee. Then tell your section AEE that the plant is installed. The AEE inspects the installation and approves the application on the portal; that approval is what releases the PCR upload link described below. After the upload the section fixes the net meter and the AEE records the commissioning online. The charges and export rates that apply once the meter is running are in our net metering rules guide.

Step 5: Submit Bank Details & CFA Claim (Aadhaar-Seeded Account)

Your bank account must be Aadhaar-seeded before submitting. MNRE pays via DBT only to Aadhaar-linked accounts. Non-seeded accounts are automatically rejected by the system. Fill bank details on the PM Surya Ghar portal. Account verification must show “Successful” before submitting.

Step 6: RECL Releases Central CFA (DBT: Rs.30,000 / Rs.60,000 / Rs.78,000)

RECL checks EB consumer name, Aadhaar, and bank details. Credit arrives within 15 working days. Check your application status by signing in at pmsuryaghar.gov.in with your registered mobile number. EB name and bank name must match 100%.

*Central subsidy as per PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana guidelines. TN State top-up as per G.O. (Ms) No. 102 dated 19.09.2026.

PCR upload on the TNPDCL portal

PCR is the upload TNPDCL asks for once the section AE has approved your net meter application. The portal never spells the letters out; installers read it as project completion report, and the page itself is now titled “Net meter Agreement, Plant photo, DCR and State subsidy Details-Upload” (the upload page). Whatever it is called, it is the same thing: proof that the plant is built, so the section office can fix the meter.

Who gets the link, and when. The link comes by SMS to the customer’s registered mobile number, not to the installer. In our jobs it arrives three to five days after installation, once the local AE has approved the application on the portal. The link does not expire, but nothing moves until the upload is done, so do it the day it arrives.

What to upload

We have not run into a file-size limit on this page. Keep each PDF clear enough to read on a phone.

What happens after the upload. The section office fixes the net meter, in our experience five to ten days later depending on meter stock at that office. The AE then records the commissioning on the portal, and that date is what the central subsidy claim in Step 5 is checked against. If the upload is not done, the meter is not fixed, and neither subsidy starts.

Most of our customers forward the SMS to us and we do the upload together on a call. Have the four documents scanned before installation day so the upload does not wait for a scan.

What RECL means on your subsidy status

RECL is REC Limited, the central public-sector company that MNRE has made the national implementing agency for PM Surya Ghar. Once TNPDCL has recorded the commissioning and you have submitted the subsidy claim, RECL checks three things: the consumer name on the EB bill against the bank account name, whether the account is Aadhaar-seeded, and the DISCOM inspection record. If all three pass, it releases the central amount, Rs 30,000, Rs 60,000 or Rs 78,000, to the account within 15 working days.

When your dashboard or an SMS mentions RECL, that is the stage it refers to: the claim is with the paying agency, not with the state. For a delay at this stage, call the PM Surya Ghar helpline, 15555, with your application number.

The Crucial Gate: Central CFA Credited?

The PM Surya Ghar portal verifies the RECL credit and only then pushes your data to TNGECL. This gate controls the start of Phase 2 — no central CFA credit means no state subsidy trigger. If credit is delayed, contact the PM Surya Ghar helpdesk with your Application Number. For full details on the state scheme: View G.O.102 Details →

Phase 2: Tamil Nadu State Top-Up Subsidy (Steps 7–11)

Step 7: Beneficiary Data Transfer to TNGECL

After the central CFA is credited, the PM Surya Ghar portal passes your verified details to TNGECL. No action is needed from you at this stage.

The state subsidy is tracked on the TNPDCL solar portal: open Application Status and enter your TNPDCL application number or mobile number. If the portal asks you to update state subsidy details (registrations after 5 August 2026), do it there with the same PAN and bank details.

Step 8: Eligibility Screening (Residential — First 1 Lakh Beneficiaries)

TNGECL matches your PM Surya Ghar data with the TANGEDCO portal. It confirms eligibility for solar panel subsidy in Tamil Nadu by checking: residential category, kW slab, and whether your application falls within the first 1,00,000 eligible beneficiaries from the state allocation.

Step 9: Sanction by TEDA

TEDA (Tamil Nadu Energy Development Agency) processes the funds from the Rs.50 Crore state allocation for all eligible consumers. This is an internal government step — no consumer action required.

Step 10: State DBT to Beneficiary (Rs.5,000 / Rs.10,000 / Rs.22,000)

The TN State subsidy is transferred via DBT to the same bank account where your MNRE central CFA was credited:

• 1 kW system — Rs.5,000
• 2 kW system — Rs.10,000
• 3 kW and above — Rs.22,000

Step 11: Reconciliation if DBT Fails

If DBT fails — wrong IFSC, closed account, or name mismatch — TEDA starts a reconciliation process. Contact TEDA or TNGECL with corrected bank details. Re-credit happens in the next disbursement cycle. Grievance: pmsuryaghar.gov.in → Help & Support.

How to Check Your Subsidy Status

Central subsidy. Open pmsuryaghar.gov.in, choose Consumer Login and sign in with the mobile number you registered with. The application page shows the stage you have reached: registration, feasibility approval, vendor and installation details, net meter and commissioning, subsidy claim, subsidy credited. The claim is the last stage; once it is verified, RECL pays within 15 working days.

Tamil Nadu top-up. On the TNPDCL solar portal, open Application Status and enter the application number or your mobile number. The state amount starts only after the central credit is confirmed, so if no state entry has appeared yet, the central payment is usually still pending.

The two portals do not show each other. The TNPDCL portal does not know your PM Surya Ghar stage, and PM Surya Ghar does not know your TNPDCL stage. Check both before you call anyone. Installers can see the same stages on the vendor side of each portal, so ask your installer to check before you travel to an office.

Where applications get stuck

How long each stage takes

These are what we see in Coimbatore; other sections can be faster or slower.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

• PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana, pmsuryaghar.gov.in (scheme guidelines and consumer login)
• TNPDCL Solar Roof Top Portal, tnebltd.gov.in/usrp (net meter application, document upload, application status, FAQ)
• TANGEDCO circular on TNERC Order No. 8 of 2021, net metering procedure (Salientfeatures.pdf)
• Government of Tamil Nadu G.O. (Ms) No. 102, Energy Department, dated 19 September 2026 (state top-up)
• Timings for the PCR link and meter fixing: R K Solar Solutions installation records, Coimbatore, 2026